Gueuze is a Belgian style of beer that combines young and aged 'lambics', or beers that are spontaneously fermented by wild yeasts. The younger lambics contain some residual sugars, and the aged lambics have a complex toastiness. They are combined and undergo a second fermentation in the bottle to produce a tart, champagne-like beer that is perfect for steaming mussels, and of course, to savour in the glass! Serve these mussels with the same Gueuze you cooked with.

Ingredients and Method:

2 1/2 lbs. cleaned mussels
1 large shallot, finely diced
pinch of fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 bottle Belgian Gueuze (usually 330 to 375 mls.)
2 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
black pepper to taste

Combine mussels, shallot, thyme and beer in a large pot. Cover pot and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil. Cook, shaking pot occasionally, until mussels are open, 3-5 minutes. When mussels are open, remove pot from heat, uncover, and stir in parsley, and black pepper to taste. Serve right away with crusty bread and a green salad.

Cooking Tips:

Mussels are best after the summer months. Even though they are mostly farm-raised these days, they still have a growth cycle, and are smallest in the summer, and most plump from mid spring and through the winter. Also, in the summer months, mussels are more susceptible to algae, and other warm weather nasties. While in Ireland on our honeymoon, my wife and I were lucky to see some fantastic wild mussel beds. This was in July, and the mussels were still babies. The family who owned the Bed and Breakfast had an annual tradition of harvesting the mussels for Easter dinner. By that time, of course, they were adults!

Never cook a mussel with a broken shell, or a mussel that doesn't close when gently rapped on the counter. This means the mussel is dead or dying, and could be harbouring toxins in its' system. If you have a reputable fishmonger, they should sell mussels loose, and will test each one for you before selling it.